Committee
Education, Culture and Sport Committee, 25 Sep 2001
25 Sep 2001 · S1 · Education, Culture and Sport Committee
Item of business
Scottish Ballet
Renton Thomson:
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My situation is one of some delicacy, because I am not authorised to speak as a spokesman on behalf of the board. I believe that I was called to the committee simply to answer questions.I can say that I have been concerned about the situation. I have been the finance director of Scottish Ballet for some 16 years. We have attempted to take the company through a number of tremendous difficulties. During that process, I have developed an understanding with the company and have enjoyed its trust. Earlier in my career I had difficulties with Scottish Opera, where I was responsible for the accounts to the general manager. When those accounts presented him with a difficulty, my position was made difficult and I had to resign. I had almost no recourse. Therefore, when I came to Scottish Ballet—this is important—it was agreed that the proper financial probity of the company and its conduct in Scottish public life were my responsibility and that that responsibility could not be removed.As members might know, I was not involved in the processes and discussions that led to the change of direction. On many occasions, I asked to be made part of the budget discussions. When it was obvious that those discussions would become a feasibility study, I expressed in the strongest terms to my executive director that I expected to be involved. Indeed, at one point my language was as strong as to say that I expected—I use the word "expect" in a professional sense—the discussions to take place. I treated the matter as extremely serious. My first professional conversation with the chief executive took place the day after the announcement. Clearly, I have a difficulty as far as that is concerned.Although I might sometimes try, I acknowledge that, apart from expecting the artistic side to operate within the financial spreadsheet that I am given, I have no legitimate input into the artistic side of Scottish Ballet and I would hate people to think otherwise. However, I have obvious anxieties that taking a less commercial route might seem to be a strange way out of a financial problem. Nonetheless, the fact remains that the less commercial route is the more economical route.The downside of that, however, is that the numbers of performances that the company is able to give is obviously smaller, as is the ratio of income to expenditure and to subsidy. I believe that there could be a learning curve; it would be beyond my competence to say that the model is not feasible. However, the feasibility of the model ought to be open to the scrutiny and searchlight of a proper budgetary process. If necessary, that process should include a comparison of alternatives.I have expressed those difficulties to a number of people, which is probably why I was invited to the committee.
In the same item of business
The Convener:
Lab
Item 2 on the agenda is the beginning of our inquiry into Scottish Ballet. I welcome the members of the public and press to the public gallery. I ask everybo...
Robert North:
A few years ago Scottish Ballet was going through a difficult period. The Scottish Arts Council had decided that the company should change from being a large...
The Convener:
Lab
Do you want to add anything, Mr Thomson?
Renton Thomson:
My situation is one of some delicacy, because I am not authorised to speak as a spokesman on behalf of the board. I believe that I was called to the committe...
The Convener:
Lab
You were invited because of your financial expertise. The committee has a legitimate role in monitoring how public funds are used. Obviously, a substantial a...
Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
When Mr North was appointed as artistic director of Scottish Ballet, there were questions in the background regarding what his relationship with any chief ex...
Robert North:
Before I accepted the appointment, I was informed that there would be a chief executive. Before that, Scottish Ballet did not have a chief executive, so I wo...
Mr Monteith:
Con
From your experience as an artistic director, can you tell us where the relative costs and savings exist in contemporary and classical dance, given that you ...
Robert North:
The issue is complicated, but clearly classical dance produces savings. I come from both a classical and a contemporary dance background, and I have fought f...
Mr Monteith:
Con
Could Robert North or Renton Thompson provide the committee with an indication of the current financial position? Is there a deficit?
Renton Thompson:
At the end of this year we expect there to be a deficit of about £400,000.
Mr Monteith:
Con
Are we to conclude that this year the deficit has been reduced?
Renton Thompson:
It was reduced considerably by Scottish Ballet's share of the deficit grant that was given last year to both national companies, which totalled £327,000. Thi...
Mr Monteith:
Con
Did the company operate last year at a trading profit or at a trading loss? What was the figure?
Renton Thompson:
Last year the company made a fairly serious loss of £260,000. That was caused by lack of income—off the top of my head, I think that it was 50 per cent lack ...
Mr Monteith:
Con
Has the company managed to meet its budgets? You have spoken about the shortfall in income, but can you say something about production expenditure? Can you a...
Renton Thomson:
I must change my spectacles to deal with those questions.Happily, our production budgets have consistently been more or less on target or, indeed, under targ...
Michael Russell:
SNP
Brian Monteith asked about Robert North's role. That role is described in correspondence between Magnus Linklater, who was then the chairman of the Scottish ...
Renton Thomson:
It was announced on 11 September, I think.
Robert North:
No, it was 15 August.
Renton Thomson:
I think that I was told an hour before the model was presented to the company. All the press announcements had been made, so there was no possibility of my i...
Robert North:
I was told about an hour and a quarter before the announcement.
Michael Russell:
SNP
So there was no previous notification. Robert, you were and are in charge of the company's artistic direction. You are right to say that the plans are very v...
Robert North:
None.
Michael Russell:
SNP
None whatsoever?
Robert North:
None.
Michael Russell:
SNP
I see.I would like to ask Renton Thomson a question. The letter that invited you to this inquiry is quite clear. We received evidence from Mary Darke, who wi...
Renton Thomson:
First, I believe my responsibility for the accounts is absolute. Mr McGhie insisted that I do not speak for board policy and I fully understand that. I had a...
Michael Russell:
SNP
Put simply, you believe that the board's decision is wrong.
Renton Thomson:
I believe that a proper process should have taken place, which could then have shone light on that decision.